What Would Have Happened? Part IV: Grudge Match
by Em Pataki
Summary: What would have happened if Arnold hadn't overlooked what Helga had said to him when she got hit on the head with the golf ball?
1. Chapter 1

What Would Have Happened? Part IV: Grudge Match

Chapter 1: Is It Fate?

**Hey everyone. My last 'What If' story didn't seem too amusing to people. If this one fails, I may end the series here. Maybe not; I hate leaving things incomplete. It's just always been a major pet peeve of mine. Anyway...hopefully this one is better than the last. **

Riding in the car with her dad, doing her best to stay positive that it wouldn't last forever, Helga and Bob heard a noise...CRASH!

"What the heck was that?" Bob asked, as he got out to see he had backed right into Phil's car. While Bob was full of rage over the car, Helga's heart was beating fast the moment she saw the cause of their collision.

"Well, looks like we got us an old fashion fender bender." Phil laughed, not thinking it was anything to worry about.

Bob on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled. Not only about the car, but the idea of being late for his game of golf.

While the two _adults _were working this out, Helga was once again hiding her feelings behind a vicious scowl "Nice going Arnold! Now my dad will yell about this for weeks!"

Being the positive person that he was, Arnold tried turning her thoughts around and said "I'm sure they'll work it out."

After watching the pointless assumption when seeing Bob chase Phil around the cars, the kids heard Bob say "Hey wait a minute. Why don't you and me settle this thing over a game of golf? Loser pays the damage for both vehicles!"

Phil shook on it (assuming he knew what he was doing), while Helga was having another emotional dilemma. Should she support Bob, whom she despised, but was still family; or should she risk Arnold knowing how soft she truly was by doing what she could to help him out?

An offer from the salesman solved that problem for her when he said "Hey Helga, I'll give you 20 bucks to caddie for me on Sunday."

"Done deal."

_The Boarding House_

While Phil may have felt there was nothing to worry about, Arnold had never seen him play that sport before. Not to mention, Phil didn't always know what he was doing when it came to this type of thing.

"So, you think you're ready for the tournament?"

"Are you kidding! Me and Jimmy Kafka used to hit that ball over and over with our rackets!"

Arnold knew there was a problem then when he had to explain the difference between golf and tennis to Phil.

_Helga's House_

Helga's family was sitting at the dinner table, listening to Bob go on about how easy this was going to be "This is going to be a snap! I almost feel sorry for the loser."

Helga stared at her plate, knowing how great her dad was at the game, and not really wanting to support him. Sure she would be getting 20 bucks out of it, but was that really worth hurting the one she loved? Especially considering she had no respect whatsoever for the man she would be helping win the game.

"Oh I hope you win daddy! I was going to surprise you, but if you don't need money to fix the car up, I want to fly us to Alaska, and show everyone where I spent my year teaching!" Olga said excitedly.

Helga rolled her eyes knowing now more than ever she wanted Arnold to win. Just because she was assisting Bob didn't mean she had to root for him; let alone that he would win.

_The Boarding House_

"You can do it grandpa! We just have to think positive."Arnold insisted.

Phil sat in his rocker, filled with despair. How could he be the age he was and confuse golf with tennis? After giving an annoyed look, Arnold told Phil they would go down to the store the next day so they could practice for the game. It was better than just praying for a miracle when Phil had no knowledge of the game whatsoever. After sighing at the advice, Phil said "Alright short man I'll do it. Besides, now you get to spend extra time with your cranky friend with the big pow and the one eyebrow. Hehe."

Arnold rolled his eyes eyes at the comment as he began to leave the room and said "Uhh right grandpa."

_Helga's closet_

Helga sat kneeling before the shrine she had made of her beloved. For years she had been wanting to confess to him how she really felt. Did fate make the accident happen for a reason, or was it merely an accident?

_Oh Arnold, what am I to do? Act as though I've no interest in your victory, when all I've ever wanted is to be close to you my love. How can I come clean, while acting as though my loyalty is directed at your opponent? How can I…._

Helga then heard a knock on the door and a voice calling her name.

"What?!" she yelled from her closet.

"You and me on the field tomorrow morning!" Bob scowled, as though his life was at stake.

Now that Helga's moment had been ruined, she left her closet to get some sleep. Only time would tell how things would work out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: On The Green

_Golf Field_

"Toss me a ball, will ya Helga?" Bob insisted, as he looked over at his grumpy daughter. Once he caught the ball, he returned her glare by informing her "It's the caddie's job to PLACE the ball; what do you think I'm paying you 20 bucks for?!"

After watching Bob take his first swing, Helga's mind went from bitter to just plain impressed. She knew her dad was great at business, but never bothered to watch what else he was successful at. If he didn't want her around, why should she worry about his life?

"Wow dad! You almost got a hole in one!"

Once again proving why Helga was right to feel the way she had been all those years, Bob showed no appreciation in the complement and said "Of course I almost got a whole in one. Been playing this game since I was six. Now pick up the pace would ya!"

Helga griped as she followed her father, as though it was starting to seem she had a better chance of finding a $20 laying on the street, than she did of making it 18 holes with Bob, without ripping her hair out.

_Golf Store_

Arnold showed Phil the nearest golf store to the boarding house. With the way he and Gerald were always circling the neighborhood with their class, it wasn't hard to remember where it was.

Arnold walked in with confidence, feeling anything Phil needed to prepare in time for the tournament would be in here.

Phil on the other hand, wasn't feeling so sure of himself. When they walked through the doors, the manager watched Phil and Arnold approach the counter.

"We're looking to buy some golf clubs." Arnold smiled.

"Beginner?"

"Ohhh I wouldn't go that far!" Phil insisted, making it clear he had no idea what he was doing.

"Then I'd recommend you start with these."

Phil did a practice swing with one of the recommended putters that didn't turn out as planned. After seeing it go through the window, the old man felt if the clubs could go that far...imagine how far the golf balls would go!

"We'll take 'em!'

After hearing Phil's confidence increase, the manager informed him "And since you're buying them today, you'll also get this 'I guarantee you'll learn how to play golf if you watch this video' video."

_Golf Field_

By the end of the day, Helga was exhausted. Dragging around a set of clubs twice her weight while wearing a stupid hat her father had insisted would make her look more professional.

As they were packing it up for the day, Helga asked "So, where's my twenty bucks Bob?"

Bob angrily pointed a finger at the girl and snapped "Hey! Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey! You'll get it after I win the game. To do that, I need YOU to bring your A game for me little missy. Got it?"

The frustrated girl followed behind her father, thinking to herself…

_Yeah, who knew it took a genius to place a ball on a stick. Sheesh!_

_Walk_

Helga and her father were rounding the corner of the streets when she suddenly bumped into someone. Like it wasn't hard enough carrying Bob's merchandise for him, she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Instead of bothering to see the cause of his daughter's inconvenience, Bob turned and said "For crying out loud! What is wrong with you Helga? Those are professional clubs!"

Bob then snatched his bag as Helga helped herself to her feet and said "I'm fine BOB. Thanks for asking!"

The irritated girl then looked to see she had run into her best friend, who was on the way home from the library.

"I'm terribly sorry Helga. I wasn't prepared for such a surprising turn of events. Phoebe sadid guiltfully.

Not caring about what had happened, Helga crossed her arms and smirked "Pttss...you want unexpected? How's this for unexpected? My idiot dad back into Arnold's eccentric grandpa's vehicle. Now whoever wins at this pathetic golf game they have lined up pays the damages for both cars."

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how that affected Hega in any way. It wasn't her vehicle, not her reputation being put on the line.

"I don't understand the problem Helga?"

The flustered girl uncrossed her arms as she waved them and shouted "Are you kidding me?! Bob (whom I'm expected to support) is battling the love of my life. After realizing how carried away she had become with her emotions, Helga turned to her friend who said "Helga, this seems to be a dispute between your father and Mr. Shortman. No pressure has been placed on you to keep your feelings in tact."

As she stood watching her friend walk away, Helga wondered if she maybe over-reacting. Like Phoebe had said, the game had nothing to do with her feelings for Arnold.

The thought of supporting someone hurting the one she loved was just so overwhelming. How could she judge herself for that, when she's bullied him every day since pre-school however?

_The Boarding House_

Arnold was sitting in the dining room with Phil when he asked "So, did you learn anything from the golf video grandpa?"

Phil kept his eyes on the meatloaf his wife was bringing over and said "Actually short man, that thing was so boring, I fell asleep after the first five minutes."

"What the heck's the old man playing golf for anyway Arnold?" Ernie couldn't help but ask.

"To practice smacking your nosy face with the clubs!" Phil interrupted.

"Actually Mr. Potts. Grandpa needs to win a game, so Mr. Pataki will pay the damage done to his car." Arnold explained.

"Ohh is that why it looks the way it does?" Mr. Hyunh asked.

"No worse than you sound." Phil muttered, while the food was being placed on the table.

"So it's a bet than! Can I keep the money? Hehehe." Oscar grinned.

"No you can't keep anything you no good chizzler, and keep your grubby paws away from my plate!" Phil snapped.

"Well, I don't know much about golf, but if you need to mess up someone's car, I got plenty of equipment down at the quarry." Ernie informed them.

Mr. Hyunh eagerly corrected him and said "They are playing so they can fix the cars!"

"What do you know Hyunh!" Ernie snapped.

Arnold watched his neighbors argue with one another until Phil stood to leave the table.

After watching him leave, Oscar turned to look at Arnold and asked "So when do I get my money? Hehehe."

_Helga's House_

Helga walked inside to see her family looking at a few pictures from Olga's trip to Alaska.

"Here I am teaching the children math. Oh, they were such good students!" Olga said with glee.

Helga rolled her eyes as she headed for the stairs and heard "Hey Helga!"

The girl's shoulders grew tense, knowing rather than receiving praise like her sister, she was about to be criticized.

"What BOB?"

"I told you to bring your A game. You better not screw up on Sunday like you did today!" the irritated man warned her.

Helga grunted as she continued her march to herself, thinking…

_If this isn't about me and Arnold, why should I care how well I perform for that loser? Sheesh!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: What To Do?

_The Boarding House_

Arnold was sitting in the kitchen, thinking about how they had been preparing for the game, but never actually started practicing. If Phil wasn't going to pay attention to the video, they at least needed to see how he would do on his own.

"Hey there short man!" Phil greeted his grandson.

"Hey grandpa. I was thinking, now maybe the time to go out and actually practice hitting the ball?"

Phil looked over at his crazy wife who was too busy dressing to raise the Titanic than she was to make breakfast. He then looked at Arnold and said "Alright, we'll try it your way."

_Golf Course_

Bob felt confident enough he would surely beat Phil at the game the next day. While Helga was doing a better job following her dad's instructions on how to caddie, her mind was afloat.

As Phoebe had said, this wasn't about her and Arnold (even though her heart stopped whenever she was near him), it was about paying the damages for the cars. She should be able to handle the idea of walking 18 holes with him, without turning into her soft self. Being around her father (or any annoy/embarrassing member of her family for that matter) didn't exactly help her to repress her anger. Was she really trying that hard to keep her reputation in tact, or just frustrated that the love of her life had to witness the pathetic life she was prone to deal with?

Even with this moral dilemma floating inside her mind, Helga managed to make it through the field without hearing Bob nag her. Perhaps all it took was keeping her mouth shut. If he wasn't going to accept her compliments, why bother saying anything to him to begin with?

_Backyard_

Being the nice person that he was, Arnold set up a few obstacle courses in their backyard for Phil to practice. Unfortunately, it didn't matter how hard or simple they were, Phil still had no idea what he was doing. After seeing the club fly out of Phil's hands and even into a huge bee hive, Arnold remained supportive. It wasn't enough to convince Phil he would magically acquire the skills he needed to win the next day.

_Phoebe's House_

After dropping off Bob's merchandise, the last thing she wanted was to spend any extra time listening to him gloat about winning the game.

Phoebe answered the door to see her friend standing there and listened to her say "Hey Pheebs, mind if I come in?"

"Why certainly Helga." the polite girl welcomed her friend in.

Although Helga had remembered her friend's advice, something still didn't feel right. Even if she was hoping Bob would lose, help him to begin with would be like supporting him.

Phoebe examined the troubled look on her friend's face and asked "Are you still worried about the match tomorrow?"

Helga sighed at the question as she sat on the bed and replied "I don't care about the stupid match. I just feel like being on Bob's team is like competing against Arnold."

Phoebe then reminded her friend "No one is making you do this Helga. If you don't feel comfortable helping your father, there's nothing that says you're required to do it."

Helga thought about this a moment, until she said "Pheebs, how's it gonna look if I back out? Everyone will wonder why I didn't show up, and see it as a sign of weakness!"

As I said Helga, this is a dispute between your father and Mr. Shortman. Even if Arnold didn't show up for the game, no one would make fun of him for it."

Helga rolled her eyes and smirked "Pttss...that's because Mr. Optimistic doesn't care about what people think of him."

"Well then, perhaps you shouldn't either. If you want to be with him one day, you can't continue hiding behind this tough mask."

_The Boarding House_

Later that night, while everyone was sleeping, Phil took this as his opportunity to escape the bet. Arnold may have supported him the past few days, but he wasn't about to humiliate himself by showing up. Just as the door was opening, Phil heard footsteps from behind.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?"

Phil panicked and said the first thing that popped into his head "Oh I was just taking my suitcase to be cleaned. They have an all night cleaners!" It may have worked, had his clothes not fallen out the instant he explained it.

"Grandpa, you were trying to sneak out weren't you?"

Phil broke down in front of Arnold, admitting he wouldn't be able to beat Big Bob. It would just lead to an embarrassment for him and the rest of the family.

"Well, you probably are going to lose. My point though is, it's better to lose gracefully, than never to have tried at all."

Phil wasn't as _mature _as his grandson when it came to situations such as these "Where the heck did you hear that milarcky? Certainly not from me!"

"Grandpa. Let's get some sleep."

After unwillingly setting his things aside, Phil admitted "The only thing that'll put me to sleep is that dumb golf video."

_Helga's House_

While Bob went to bed with his mind at peace, Helga was up wondering if she should even show up. It may or may not hurt her reputation; she could care less about hurting her dad. Bob obviously didn't ask for her help to bond with her. Why should she care how well he did? If she didn't show up for the game however, not only was she blowing a chance to be near her beloved, but blowing another opportunity to confess to him. Did she really want to do it in front of Bob however? He didn't exactly bring out the best in her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: I Didn't Mean To Say That

_Golf Course_

It was the big day. Bob was on the golf course. Bob was on the golf course, confident as ever that his car payment would be taken care of by the end of the day. It was like he was getting unneeded golf practice with a cash prize along with it.

Helga stood holding her dad's heavy clubs in the _professional _hat she had bed given, when the two of them saw their opponents approaching; well, Bob's opponents. Helga still didn't know where she stood on this. Arnold was just helping his grandpa, whom he obviously supported. The last thing Helga wanted was to do anything that would hurt her beloved, and yet, here she was being the assistant opponent of his.

"Ready to go Gramps?" Bob asked.

He stood back with an evil smile on his face, knowing Phil had no chance of winning. Phil didn't believe he did either; that golf video had sunken further in than he would have guessed however.

"Here we go, look left and right, then smack the ball with all your might!"

The group then watched as Phil made a hole in one. No one had been expecting it. While Bob thought he must have been dreaming, Arnold asked Phil how he suddenly got the hang of the game?

"Ya got me short man? I found myself saying one of those stupid poems from that golf video then next thing you knew…"

A smile formed on Helga's face as she continued watching Phil's crazy poems beat Bob's _professional _work. If this continued on, it would be pointless to act as though she supported him, almost embarrassing (at least she felt), seeing he had no chance of winning.

It was as though justice was being served to Bob, and all Helga had to do was sit back and laugh. Of course he would probably find a way to blame her for it at the end of the game, but since when did he NOT tell her she did well at something?

Of course, dragging Bob's gear around for him wasn't helping take her mind off the game completely.

While Arnold was actually enjoying the game and how well their relatives were doing, Helga stood pondering this until...SMACK!

The blonde boy watched his friend fall to the ground and asked "Helga! Helga can you hear me? Are you alright?!"

The injured girl laid on the ground as she blurted out "Oh Arnold! I'm fine as long as you are near me! You and your wonderfully supportive nature which blocks out my negative way of thinking…"

While Arnold stood there in shock, Phil laughed to himself as Bob cocked his brow. Since when did his younger, more uptight daughter, become so soft?

Arnold then lent Helga a hand up as she shook her head and realized what had just happened.

Arnold stood staring at the blushing girl until Bob finally realized his shot had been interrupted. The uptight man marched over and asked "Helga what is wrong with you? That was headed straight for the cup! This could cost me the game!"

Helga was no longer thinking about her nagging farther. Not only had she just blurted out her biggest secret, but Arnold was staring as though he may have actually believed it.

Again, only one thing could distract her from her loving world, and that was her annoying family. "I'm fine BOB, thanks for asking."

After seeing Arnold would be questioning this the rest of the game, she felt it may not be the best idea to follow him around the field with such as aggressive attitude "Hold your own darn flag Bob. I quit, and you can keep your lousy twenty bucks!"

Bob wasn't going to let this bring him down, but Arnold had a hard time focusing on supporting Phil after what was said. Was it just because of the thump on the head, or did she actually mean what she said?

Helga's family treated her terribly, while she said _Oh Arnold! I'm find as long as you are near me!_

Was he really the one thing that distracted (let alone got her through) her neglecting life? He was trying to focus on the goofy poems Phil was coming up with, until he saw Helga sitting alone at one of the tables close by.

_Patio_

Helga sat at the table, planting her face in her hands, as she said to herself "Oh why am I such an idiot? Like Phoebe said, no one was making me go through with this! Then I (as always) let my reputation take over, only to have it blow up in my face. How could I be…"

"Hey Helga.

"ARNOLD!" The petrified girl screamed. As if it wasn't bad enough he had heard what he did on the course, now he was hearing her personal conversations.

"I mean, what are you doing here football head. Shouldn't you be over there giving your lame grandpa advice?"

Arnold looked over at Phil, who was doing just fine and said "I think he'll be alright."

Helga's eyes widened, knowing Arnold wasn't planning on going anywhere. She then listened to his say... "So about that poem?"

"Uhh what about it hehe?" Helga tugged at her collar, feeling as though she was trapped.

"You said you're fine as long as I'm near you, and that my supportive attitude block out the negativity in your life."

Helga began to sweat as she felt it was the right time to just get up and walk away. What else could she say, other than _Duh, of course I meant it._

"I had just gotten slammed on the head with a golf ball Arnoldo! I wasn't thinking clearly, or even at all! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get the heck out of here."

Arnold didn't believe anything she said. Even if she didn't realize she was saying it, some part of her conscience had to be coming forward for her.

Just as she was about to walk away, a ball landed on the table behind them.

"Don't touch that ball! Sorry just playing through." For a second, Arnold forgot about Helga, and went over to help Phil.

While it was the perfect chance to get away, Helga couldn't help but stick around to hear what Arnold's plan was to help the old man.

"Oh Arnold! That was the worst, stupidest poem I've ever heard!"

Helga cocked her brow, wondering how well he was doing in Simmons' class. Perhaps she could use this as an opportunity to teach him about English, rather than her love life. The only problem was, he WAS her love life. She couldn't write a good poem unless it came from him.

As she stood there, waiting for the chance to mock him, Helga heard "YAYYY!"

Phil had just won the game, which she took as the perfect opportunity to sneak away from Arnold, before his attention became focused on her again.

The question now was, what would happen when it did?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: No Hard Feelings

Helga began running off, knowing Bob wouldn't notice (let alone care) if he left her behind after the game.

Phil went over to see Bob smashing his hat on the ground, while Arnold turned to see Helga had disappeared.

_Walk_

Helga left the course, uncertain of where she would go. If she went home, she could just expect to be listening to Bob nagging her about the game the entire afternoon.

She suddenly felt so vulnerable. She had just let her most intimate guarded secret slip (not only in a public atmosphere), but in front of the one she loved. It was only a matter of time before she found out who Arnold spread word to, or if he even believed it.

_Parking Lot_

"Well I hope you brought your checkbook Pataki! 'Cause you'll be needin' it now!" Phil pointed and laughed at his opponent.

"Watch it gramps! Before I use these clubs to make my payment signature on your butt!"

"You can't scare me Pataki!" Phil pointed a finger, while Arnold noticed Helga hadn't managed to make it to Bob's car yet. She must have wondered off somewhere.

"Come on grandpa. Let's get going?" he insisted.

"Huh? Alright we'll do it your way." Phil said to his grandson.

The two got in the packard, as Arnold listened to Phil chuckle the whole ride about how great it felt to beat Bob. Rather than replying to him, the blonde boy stared out the window until he noticed a familiar face.

_The Park_

"I'm terribly sorry Helga. Perhaps he'll somehow look over it." Phoebe said, whom Helga happened to see walking past the park.

"Look past it?! Pheebs not only did I blurt my guts out to him, but he actually tried to talk to me about it! If it hadn't been for his lunatic relative's golf shot, I wouldn't have gotten away to begin with." Helga snapped.

"Well Helga. You always hoped Arnold would find out without you having to tell him yourself. This may be the opportunity you've been waiting for." Phoebe encouraged her emotional friend.

"So I'm supposed to just march up to him and say. Yeah football head, it's all been a hoax. I've liked you since the day we met. In fact I…"

"Hey Helga."

The blonde girl gasped as she turned to see her beloved standing behind her. Who knew how much he had heard or how interested he still was in finding out the truth about all of this?

"ARNOLD! I mean, what are you doing here football head? Shouldn't you be celebrating with that eccentric relative of yours?"

_Ten Minutes Ago_

"Ho boy! Now if this ever happens again, I can challenge the jerk to a game of tennis and really kick his keester! Hehe...whatcha lookin' at short man?" Phil asked his grandson, whom he saw staring out the window.

Before giving Arnold a chance to respond, he added "Oh it's your little cranky friend with the big pink bow and one eyebrow. Guess I can't blame her for leaving when she did. Who'd want to ride home with _her _dad?"

"Grandpa…'

"Oh I'm just messin' with ya short man. Tell ya what, to show everyone there's no hard feelings, why don't you go invite her and her family to dinner. I'd say just her and her dad, but they'd feel kind of outnumbered with the weirdos at our place."

"Whatever you say grandpa…"

_Park_

After hearing the story, Phoebe smiled and said "What a wonderfully polite way of settling things."

Arnold then looked at Helga, whose eyes were frozen solid, and asked "So, do you think your family would want to come over tonight?"

Helga thought about this a moment. The only thing worse than bringing her family around Arnold would be sitting alone with him, now that he was suspicious of a few things. Could they actually come in handy for once?

"Uhhh I guess." Helga rubbed her neck nervously. "Pttss...I mean if we're paying for the cars, the least you could do is treat us to dinner."

As Arnold smiled, Phoebe said "Technically, it won't be you and Arnold paying for them Helga, which is what makes this so generous of Arnold; to treat your whole family to a free mean."

Helga glared at Phoebe. It was as if she was trying to force Helga onto Arnold. What other way could she be supportive however, if Arnold already knew the truth? Just by not making fun of them, she was proving herself to be a true friend.

Now Helga had to worry if her family joining them for dinner would mean scaring Arnold off, changing his opinion of her, making him want to speak with her privately, or just having to tell him the truth before they could do anything too intolerable. They brought out the worst in her. Now that Arnold knew her secret, how easy would it be for him to believe with her acting the way she did when they were around?

_Arcade_

"Dinner with Pataki?!" Gerald shouted, while listening to Arnold's story about his day on the golf course with her.

"I don't know. It was grandpa's idea to show them there's no hard feelings about the game. I just don't know if what she said to me was true or not?" Arnold sighed as he leaned against the race car game his friend was obsessed with.

"Arnold, it doesn't matter if she likes you (which I really have a hard time believing). You don't owe her anything. If I was you, I'd have been keeping a vendetta book my entire life to keep track of everything I needed to get her back for." Gerald insisted.

"You know I'm not that kind of person Gerald. Besides, your family gets on your nerves sometimes doesn't it?"

Gerald sacrificed winning the game to turn and look at his best friend and say "I think we both know the answer to that."

"Timberly breaks your thinks, Jamie O steals then, your dad is always nagging you about the bills…"

'What's your point?" Gerald asked, in un-amused tone.

"Helga's family gets on her nerves just as much, only it's worse because they don't care to notice if she exists or not. I just have to show her she's not alone. Everyone gets mistreated, but it's no reason to take it out on other people."

Gerald rolled his eyes at his friend's idea and said "Yeah, good luck with that."

_The Boarding House_

Phil made it home in time to see Pookie cooking in the kitchen. "Howdy Slim! Did ya win your battle against the vicious blood thirsty robber?!"

Phil sighed and replied "Uh huh, now listen Pookie, we got guests coming over tonight. That means no watermelon, raspberries, or surprises of any kind!"

"Don't worry slim. Only the best for lady Eleanor, whom must have had a hard day before being rescued from those robbers!"

Phil rolled his eyes as he left the room and mumbled "You want hard, trying living with someone like you."

_Helga's House_

After the uncomfortable encounter with Arnold, Helga headed home to let her family know they had been invited to dinner. When she opened the door, Bob was already screaming at the top of his lunges

"I haven't lost a game of golf since I was 10. Suddenly some old geaser with no knowledge whatsoever comes in and takes over!"

"Don't worry daddy. I'm sure you'll win the next one." Olga placed her hand on her father's shoulder.

"There isn't gonna be a next one! After I get that thing fixed, I'm never talking to that freak again!"

Just as Bob was heading for the living room, he noticed Helga standing in the doorway "What do you want? If you think you're getting that $20 now, you're crazy!"

Helga sighed and said "Actually, I came to say Arnold's family invited us all to have dinner at his place tonight."

"Why? So the old man can gloat."

"I think he jisr feels bad about you having to pay for everything," Helga said sadly.

Being the excited person that she was, Olga butted in tlo say "Oohh I'll bring some of my best dishes to share with everyone! I just lover dinner dates!"

"Fine I'll go, but just for the food."Bob warned her.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: You Wanna Know?

_Arnold's Kitchen_

Pookie was finishing up her potatoes when she said "Where's lady Eleanor? I put something special in it just for her!"

Phil glared at his wife and mumbled "There better not be any fruit in that stuff."

Arnold then entered the kitchen and listened to his grandpa say "Hey short man! Your friend still coming to dinner?"

Arnold sat at the table with his elder and informed him "Yeah, and her family, so if you wouldn't mind trying to act...normal, that'd be great."

Phil looked over at Pookie in her karate outfit and sighed "Normal eh? First time for everything I guess."

_Helga's Kitchen_

"And a lemon souffle, and corn pudding, and homemade dumplings and…"

"For crying out loud Olga! They're the ones feeding us! They didn't ask us to bring THEM a buffet! Criminy." Helga snapped.

"Hey! Hey-hey-hey-hey-hey! You watch your mouth missy! Anything your sister makes is bound to be better than whatever they have to serve us." Bob pointed a finger at his younger daughter.

Helga crossed her arms and looked away as she listened to Bob say "Let's get going Miriam! The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can be back in time for The Wheel."

Miriam lifted her head from the counter, recovering from one of her smoothies. While Olga was excited to have the family together, Helga didn't see the point in bringing Miriam along. She barely kept up with what was going on around her.

_Arnold's Kitchen_

"So she finally confessed!" Phil winked at his grandson, excited to see things going somewhere for him.

"I don't think she knew what she was saying though." Arnold hesitated as he listened to Phil ask "What the heck are you talking about?"

Arnold shrugged his shoulders and replied "Well, like she said, she had just gotten hit with a golfball. She didn't know what she was saying."

"Let me tell ya a story short man. Me and my friends were playing a game of jacks out in the street that your grandma was nice enough to walk through rather than over…

'_Move it chin boy, I'm walkin' here'_

The joke turned out to be on her though!"

"Why is that?"

"Because 5 steps later, she slipped in a puddle and smacked her head on the ground. When we all went to check on her, she was saying the most wonderful things...about me!" Phil chuckled.

Arnold listened attentively as Phil kept on with his story "At first I thought she was crazy, then I set up four or five more traps for her to fall into, to see if I was really the only thing on her mind…"

"Wait a minute. You intentionally tried to hurt grandma?" Arnold asked.

"Of course, but you're missing the point!" Phil insisted.

"Which is?"

"The only way to knock the truth out of someone is to knock the wind out of them first! Hehe." Phil chuckled.

Arnold rolled his eyes just as they heard the doorbell ringing.

_Front Porch_

While half Helga's family was eager to start eating, she stood with her arms crossed, wondering how this would go. She didn't like being with her family, she never wanted to be the one to tell Arnold the truth, now here it was happening all at once.

As the door opened, the pets poured past the visitors. Bob lost his balance and screamed "Mother Goose!"

"Criminy football head! Do you live at the zoo or something?" Helga sneered.

"Sorry about that. Come on in." he greeted them.

As Pookie was setting her dishes on the table, she saw Olga doing the same. She then looked over at Helga and said "Lady Eleanor! You didn't need to bring anything!"

Helga rolled her eyes and scoffed "Trust me, it wasn't my idea."

"Who the heck is lady Eleanor?" Bob asked, while cocking his brow.

"That seems to be the name she's chosen for your kid. If you want her to make one up for you just ask." Phil said.

The two families took a seat at the table and began digging into Olga's dishes, while not seeming so interested in Pookie's.

"Why lady Eleanor, you haven't tried my potatoes yet?" Pookie looked at Helga cocking her brow as Phil muttered "That's because she's smart."

Olga then decided to jump into the small talk and asked "So, how was golf?"

Helga began to blush as she listened to her sister continue "I heard daddy didn't do so well. Then I heard about the sweet things Helga said to Arnold after blocking one of daddy's shots."

Helga planted her face in her hands, doing her best to pretend she didn't exist. Normally Arnold would step into fix things, but this was his own problem. One he wasn't even sure yet how to fix.

_One Hour Later_

For the first time in months, Helga hadn't cleaned her plate. That didn't matter to Bob however. He said to his family "Let's get going before I miss The Wheel."

Helga hoped to sneak out with her family after making it through the meal without saying two words to Arnold. That was too much to ask apparently.

As she was anxiously heading for the door, she heard "Helga wait!"

The nervous girl gulped as she turned to see their families had already left the room. "What is it football head?"

"Will you come upstairs with me?"

Helga's heart began to pound as she followed her beloved up the stairs without even answering him. As she watched him pull the chain to the stairs down, she scoffed "Pttss...what do you live in the attic or something?"

Arnold began to blush as he said "Yeah actually I do."

The two entered the room and Helga did her best to act as though she had never been in there before. It didn't take long to blow it however.

"Where's that crummy remote for your couch?"

Her eyes then widened after realizing what she said as Arnold handed it to her and said "How did you know I had one?"

Helga began tugging at her collar and said "Oh just a guess. Who doesn't have a couch in their room nowadays. You ever been to Pheebs? She's got all kinds of furniture in her room. Hehe...hot in here."

Arnold lifted an eyebrow, then sat down on the couch with her and asked "So, were you serious about everything you said on the golf course?"

Helga crossed her arms as she looked away and said "Oh brother! We're back to that?"

"I won't tell anyone. I'd just like to know."

Helga stood from the couch and said "Fine you wanna know. I'll tell ya...when you can write a decent poem. Like your grandpa said on the course 'That was the worst, stupidest poem I ever heard."

Helga then left Arnold's room, feeling as though she'd blown her chance yet again, while Arnold sat there and wondered why she would care about such a thing?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Mind If I...

It was Monday morning and Helga was kicking herself for the way she treated Arnold as usual. She only did it to avoid confessing her feelings to him. She and Phoebe were walking towards school, while she explained the night to her best friend.

"So, how was dinner with Arnold?" Helga.

Rather than feeling any tension from the question, Helga thought about how interested Arnold had seemed in getting to know her. He could have easily overlooked what had happened, like he had so many other times. Instead, she took it as another advantage to deny her feelings for him

"Not so good Pheebs."

It didn't surprise Phoebe that Helga had fallen back into her old ways. Still she had to ask "What exactly happened?"

_Arnold's Kitchen_

Phil came downstairs for breakfast. Instead of seeing a large stack of pancakes made by his cowgirl wife, he saw his grandson working on something.

"Hey! Whatcha doing there short man? I hope ya don't think we're home schooling you now."

Arnold sighed and replied "No grandpa. Helga said she wouldn't tell me how she felt unless I could write a decent poem."

Phil then interrupted as he took a seat and said "Hmm makes sense to me. I don't know where the heck you got that other one from?"

"Grandpa…"

_Walk_

"Oh my! That doesn't sound as though it went well for the two of you. What are you going to do if he is capable of writing a decent poem?" Phoebe asked.

Helga stared at the ground, thinking about the situation, and said "I don't think he is Pheebs. Which is why I didn't mind offering to tell him if he could. I mean I never heard Simmons read one of HIS dorky poems in class!"

The two then turned the corner, nearly bumping into someone. "Good morning Gerald. Where's Arnold?" Phoebe asked.

_Flashback_

_Previous Night_

After Helga left, Arnold wondered why a poem would matter to her. Was she softer than she seemed, or was she just trying to get out of telling him the truth?

The blonde boy then decided to call who he always did in his time of need; Gerald.

Gerald was sitting in the living room, thinking about how the weekend was over already when he suddenly heard…

RING RING RING

The cool boy picked it up to hear his best friend on the other line.

"Hey Gerald."

"Hey man. How was dinner with Pataki?" Gerald teased his friend.

_End of Flashback_

As good a friend as he was, Gerald wasn't going to go spilling the details of their conversation about Helga, so he simply said "My man's not feeling well. He's staying home today."

Helga gulped, wondering if he was avoiding her because of how the night had ended. Why would he though, if he didn't care about her?

"Oh my! I'm sorry to hear that." Phoebe gasped as she placed a hand over her mouth.

Gerald laughed at his classmate's dire concern and said "It's cool babe. I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow."

He and Phoebe held hands the rest of the way to school, not noticing Helga wasn't following behind them. She crept around the corner of the building as she pulled out her locket and said…

_Oh Arnold! What have I done? Forcing you to stay away, all because of the selfishness of the feelings which I myself possess! You tried to get closer, yet I brushed off the opportunity, like a speck of dust on my shirt. Why must my fear be as strong as my dreams, as opposed to reality? Why…_

Helga then heard wheezing as her loving yet fearful eyes turned to annoyed ones. While dropping her shoulders in annoyance, she swung her fist back at her stalker and took that as her que to get going to school.

_P.S.118_

_Classroom_

"Ohhh why does the weekend have to be over? Why can't it be a five day weekend with only two days of school?" Harold whined.

"Harold, that doesn't even make sense." Rhonda rolled her eyes, as she sat back in her desk, reading her Pre-Teen Miss magazine.

"Besides, imagine how old you'd be by the time you finished just this grade." Sid laughed as the rest of the class joined in with him.

"Shut up or I'll pound all of ya!" the husky boy threatened, just as the teacher was entering the room behind him.

"Please sit down Harold. Violence never solves anything." Mr. Simmons reminded his students, while setting his things down.

It didn't matter if they agreed with him on that or not. Just hearing his perky voice and cheery advice every morning was enough to settle their nerves.

The teacher then looked to see an empty seat in front of Helga and asked "Oh my, where's Arnold?"

While Helga's eyes widened at the possibility of her name being brought up, Gerald covered for them by saying "He asked me to let you know he's not feeling well. I'm sure we can expect him back tomorrow."

Helga wiped the sweat from her brow, as Mr. Simmons said "Well alright, but he'll be missing a very special lecture."

_I'm sure he'll live_

Helga thought to herself, as she crossed her arms and sat back in the chair.

_The Boarding House_

_The Living Room_

Phil was sitting in his rocker, when he heard a snap beside the arm of the chair *SNAP*

The old man looked to see his wife holding a whip and asked "Pookie! Have you lost your mind?!"

"Shhh. There's a robber in the house, who's going to kill us all if we're not ready!"

Phil stood from his chair to head downstairs as he mumbled "Why don't ya try snappin' that thing at yourself?"

_Arnold's Room_

On his way downstairs, he saw Arnold still sitting at the table in the kitchen. "Hey there short man! How's it going?"

Arnold watched his grandpa pull a soda out of the fridge as he said "Not so good grandpa. Maybe she really was just messing with me."

Phil looked at all the crumpled up sheets on the table and floor, took a seat and said "Hmm...let me see one of those"...

_Helga, I'm sorry I hit you_

_It was nice having you for dinner_

_We should do it again soon_

Phil looked up at his grandson and said "I have one question."

"Okay…"

"How in the heck are you passing English?!" Phil asked astoundedly.

After rolling his eyes, he explained "It's hard grandpa. I've never written about her before. Now she's acting like how I feel about her is the only way she'll ever admit how she feels about me."

"Well, do ya like her?" Phil asked, almost impatiently.

Arnold sighed and said "I don't know. It's kind of hard to have feelings for someone who won't stop picking on you."

Phil then spit out his drink and stammered "Have you lost your mind?!"

"What do you mean?" Arnold shrugged his shoulders, as if his grandpa was now the crazy grandparent.

"I told you all those stories about what your grandma did to ME, boy! She was just craving attention from someone she never thought she had a shot with. Although in her case with me, I see her point hehe."

"Helga being mean to me isn't the only way I'd give her attention. My other friends aren't mean to me." Arnold shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

"Then tell her that! It's bad enough when someone thinks you're too big a loser to be their friend. What makes you think all the despicable stunts she's pulled over the years makes her believe she still has a shot with ya?"

_P.S.118_

_Classroom_

The kids sat, unamused about the surprise coming up. They knew if it was something Mr. Simmons was eager about, it would be the opposite for them.

As Helga sat, leaning back in her desk, one thing she had forgotten she and Simmons had in common was their love of poetry. She wasn't publicly willing to allow the world to know this, as he was, but they still had this in common.

"Okay class, here it is, the special lecture I promised you!" Mr. Simmons exclaimed.

While a few students sat up intrigued to hear what it was, most of them knew not to get their hopes up about anything.

Mr. Simmons then continued on as he said "We will be talking about Emily Dickenson! Isn't that wonderful?"

Helga rolled her eyes, already having heard of the author, along with many others.

"What kind of surprise is that?!" Harold whined.

"I believe rather than having us write an assignment, he intends on filling us in on the life of the author." Phoebe explained.

"Oh how wonderful!" Sheena said, while the boys began to groan.

Mr. Simmons began filling them in on the lifestyle Emily not only led, but chose for herself…

Her self imposed social seclusion

Work being inspired by another person

No desire to publish her work as long as she lived

Helga had worried she was crazy all her life for not only acting, but feeling this way. She was not the only neglected person whose work was inspired by another, and hidden from those who may have the audacity to make fun of it.

Could this be a sign to back off Arnold, or that there was nothing wrong with the ways she was expressing herself?

_The Boarding House_

School ended as Phil continued to watch his grandson toss sheet after sheet onto the floor.

"You should be in the book of world record for all that paper short man...oh wait, you already are." Phil stopped to think a moment.

Arnold sat with his head in his hand as he tapped the pencil against the desk, when they suddenly heard a knock at the door *KNOCK*

"I'll get it, before your lunatic grandma does." Phil insisted.

He then opened the door to see an unexpected face.

Arnold continued sitting at the kitching, while listening to Phil say "Well...didn't expect to see you back so soon. Of course with the family YOU have, who could blame you?"

Although he wasn't aware of who was standing outside, Arnold rolled his eyes at Phil's comment.

Next thing he knew, there was a shadow hovering over his head. Arnold quickly turned to see the last person he expected "Helga."

It would have been too weird to act in her usual fearful state at this point. "Hey Arnold. Mind if I sit with you?" she gulped.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Confess

After requesting to sit with her beloved (even after noticing all the paper scattered on the floor), she listened to him say "Why don't we go upstairs; where no one will bother us?"

It was hard enough getting the truth about anything out of Helga. He didn't need Phil around making them any more uncomfortable.

"Uhhh sure." Helga gulped. Last time she blew it by making it obvious she had been in his room before. She could only pray he tossed it over his shoulder, or fell for her instant yet pathetic excuse.

Phil laughed to himself as he watched his grandson lead his _friend _upstairs. Thinking about everything he had told Arnold about Pookie, he knew Helga wasn't just going to come out and confess...or would she?

_Arnold's Room_

Once they made it upstairs, Helga stood still, as she began to sweat, thinking to herself…

_Okay Helga ol' girl, this is it. DON'T blow it!_

"Helga?"

The blonde girl then shook her head after hearing her name and nervously gasped "Huh?"

"I said, would you like to sit with me?" Arnold patted for her to sit beside him on the couch.

The pigtailed girl's cheeks began to turn bright red. Her beloved was asking her to join him for a seat. It still amazed her she had even come over to see her. Perhaps a part of her felt guilty he hadn't shown up at school.

"Oh uh sure. So why'd you skip school? Did someone warn you about Simmons' special surprise?" Helga smirked.

"Surprise?" Arnold lifted an eyebrow as he questioned what he heard. It wasn't unusual for Mr. Simmons to be creative (let alone for the majority of the class to hate it). He was a more organized, rather than 'on the spot' person, however.

"Pttss. Oh brother. Today we had to hear about Emily Dickenson's depressing lifestyle!" Helga crossed her cross and sat back, not wanting to sound interested in it.

"Emily was a great writer Helga."

Helga's eyes widened, as she worried he was putting two and two together about their pathetic lifestyles and the inspiration behind them.

"Yeah. So?"

"So, I would think you would be impressed by someone like her. After all, you seemed pretty upset that I couldn't write a decent poem. Poetry must mean something to you. That or you were just trying to torment me."

Helga looked guiltily at Arnold after hearing this and said "No, that's not it football head." She then sighed as she began to admit "Emily and I have a lot in common. Neglecting families whose work is inspired by one thing."

Arnold was beginning to see why it was imperative to her that he could not only write a poem, but see what it would be about.

The blonde boy smiled and replied "You don't have to be good at the same things for someone to like you Helga. Besides, you and I share plenty of the same interests…"

Helga then scooted away as she snapped "Like? You? Pttss...Yeah, like I'd love hearing another lecture from Mr. Special again."

Arnold ignored her comment and began listing all the things they did together "Come on Helga. We play sports together practically every day, we were in the school play together, the spelling bee, cleaned the vacant lot together...whether or not you appear to be in a good mood, I don't think you would have stuck around me that much if you hate me as much as you claim to."

Helga stared in awe, unsure of what to say as she listened to him continue on "Besides, just because I can't write well, doesn't mean I don't enjoy hearing other people's work." he winked.

Nothing needed to be said after that. Arnold placed his hand on Helga's trembling one, while she sat thinking…

_Criminy! He finally knows. What the heck is going to happen at school?_

Arnold saw the fearful look Helga was carrying and added "We don't have to tell anyone about it. Like you said, we don't have the most mature class." he winked.

Helga swooned at his understanding attitude, then shook her head and snapped "Pttss...darn right we don't!"

"I guess we can just pretend it never happened then."

Helga stood from the couch to leave as she said "OR...you could use it as a wake up call to work on your writing assignments. Sheesh."

"Whatever you say Helga."

_**THE END**_

_**THANKS FOR READING **_

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